Water leaking from the flat upstairs, a burglary, a block with no insurance: who pays?
The most common home claims, honestly: leaks and “gradual” damage, burglaries and the alarm, proof of what was stolen, a kitchen fire, common areas and what applies (and what does not yet) to insuring apartment blocks, repairs before the assessor.
In short
Most answers are in the terms of your own policy: many cover a sudden leak but exclude gradual damage. Compulsory insurance for apartment blocks exists only in a bill, not yet in law.
- Find out where the main water valve is and show everyone at home.
- After a burglary: the police at once, a case number, and check the terms on alarms and locks.
- Film every room and keep receipts in the cloud.
- Ask the management committee whether there is a policy for the common parts and ask for a copy.
From the series “The questions you are afraid to ask”, part “Car, home, travel”: questions real people ask, with honest answers. Information only.
At a glance
- Most answers here are in the terms of your own policy; we tell you what applies in many policies and what to check.
- Compulsory insurance of apartment blocks exists only in a 2022 draft bill, which had not been passed by June 2026.
- Many policies cover a sudden leak but exclude gradual damage and poor maintenance.
- After a burglary: the police at once, a case number, and check the terms on alarms and locks.
- For stolen contents, photos, video and receipts help, and contents that were not declared are not paid.
The damage that wakes you at three in the morning
A stain on the ceiling that keeps growing, a forced door when you come back from the village, a pan that caught fire. In these moments most people do not know whether to call the plumber, the police or the insurer first. There is no single Cyprus rule for all this: the answer is almost always in your own policy. So we tell you what applies in many policies, what to check, and in what order to act.
Leaks: sudden or gradual?
- Many policies cover damage from a sudden leak (a pipe that bursts), but exclude gradual damage, wear and poor maintenance, and often do not pay for the pipe itself.
- Water from the floor above: usually your own policy pays your own damage under its terms and may pursue the neighbour; if the cause is in shared pipes, the building is involved. Tell the neighbour and the management committee in writing.
- Your own leak into the flat below: this is a matter for the liability cover of your policy, if it has one.
Apartment blocks: what applies today
Compulsory insurance of jointly owned buildings appears in a draft bill of the Department of Lands and Surveys (June 2022, articles 24 to 27). As of 17 June 2026 the reform had not been passed (Cyprus Mail), and the current framework the same report names does not describe an insurance duty. So, as far as we could verify, compulsory apartment-block insurance is not yet law. Check your building’s rules and whether the management committee has a policy for the common parts: roof, stairwell, pipes, lift.
After a burglary or damage: the order
- Safety first: turn off the main water or power; after a burglary, touch nothing until the police arrive.
- The police for a theft, with a case number. There is no statutory deadline for telling your insurer; the policy sets it.
- Photos before you clean up, and keep the damaged items if you can.
- Urgent repairs to stop the damage spreading, with photos and invoices; for the rest, written approval before the assessor visits.
Step-by-step guides: What to do if your home is damaged and What to do after a theft. If someone else caused your damage: When the other side is at fault.
What went wrong for others — and how to avoid it
- The belongings had not been declared, so they were not paid (Cyprus). The Insurance Association said it plainly about contents. How to avoid it: a video of every room, receipts in the cloud, and valuables listed separately if the policy asks.
- A policy condition was not kept (Cyprus). The Insurance Association said it about a fenced or cleared plot: when the policy sets a condition, a claim can be refused if it was not kept; many policies work the same way for an alarm or locks. How to avoid it: read the “conditions” and “warranties”, service the alarm and keep proof.
Your questions, one by one
Water is leaking from the flat upstairs and the neighbour won’t do anything. Whose insurance pays?
Usually your own policy pays your own damage under its terms and may then pursue the neighbour or his insurer. If the source is in shared pipes, the building is involved. Tell the neighbour and the management committee in writing, with photos and dates.
A pipe burst inside the wall. Is the plumber and the wall repair covered, or only the damage?
Many policies pay for the damage the water caused and the cost of finding the leak and opening the wall, but not the pipe itself or its wear. Check whether yours has “trace and access” cover.
The insurer says the leak was slow, gradual damage and not covered. What is the difference?
A sudden leak happens abruptly, like a burst pipe; a gradual one goes on over time, like a small drip that rots the floor. Many policies exclude gradual damage. Ask in writing for the clause and the assessor’s report, and if you disagree, get your own opinion.
Burglars broke in while we were at the village. Will the insurer pay if the alarm wasn’t on?
If the policy has a condition that the alarm must be on, the claim can be refused or reduced. Read the “conditions” and “warranties”. If you are refused, ask in writing for the exact clause; an ambiguity is read in your favour only if there really are two reasonable readings.
Is theft covered if there is no sign of forced entry?
Many policies cover theft only with forced entry or exit, and exclude theft with no sign of forced entry unless there was violence or deception. Check the definition of “theft” in your own policy and report it to the police at once.
What do I need to prove what was stolen if I have no receipts?
Photos and video of the home, boxes and manuals, card statements, jewellery valuations, witnesses. Contents that were not declared are not paid, so anything that proves you owned it helps. From today, make a video of every room.
Who insures the common areas, roof and stairwell in an apartment block?
Compulsory insurance of apartment blocks is, as far as we could verify, only in a 2022 draft bill that had not been passed by June 2026. Whether the common areas are insured depends on the building’s rules and the management committee. Ask the committee for a copy of the policy.
One owner refuses to pay his share of the block insurance. Are the rest of us still covered?
It depends on the terms of the building’s policy: if the premium is not paid in full, the cover may be at risk. Ask the management committee for written confirmation that the policy is in force. For the dispute with the owner, the building’s rules apply.
Does my policy cover damage caused by my own water leak to the flat below?
This is a matter for the liability cover of your own policy, if it has one, and its terms on leaks. Tell the neighbour and your insurer at once, and do not admit liability in writing before speaking to your insurer.
A fire started in my kitchen from a pan. Will the insurer say it was my negligence?
A kitchen fire is usually exactly the risk that fire cover is for, and simple carelessness does not usually rule out payment. Some policies exclude deliberate acts or gross negligence. Photograph, notify, and ask for any refusal in writing.
Mould and damp appeared in my flat. Is it ever covered?
Rarely on its own; many policies exclude mould and damp as gradual damage or wear. It may be covered if it results from a covered sudden leak. Find the cause with a technician and check the terms.
Is a broken window or glass door covered by home insurance?
Many policies cover broken glass, often with a separate limit or excess, while others only if the breakage comes from a covered peril such as a burglary or a storm. Check the terms on glass.
Our water tank on the roof leaked and flooded the flat. Is it a home or block claim?
It depends on whether the tank is yours or common property, under the building’s rules. If it is yours, your own policy counts; if it is common, ask the management committee about the building’s policy. Tell both in writing.
Do I have to report a burglary to the police within a certain time for the claim?
There is no statutory deadline for telling your insurer; the policy sets it, and many require a police report “immediately” or within a few days. Go to the police the same day and keep the case number.
My keys were stolen. Does the insurance pay to change the locks?
Many policies have a small cover for changing locks when keys are stolen, often with a limit. Check whether yours has it, and change the locks anyway, because many policies do not cover a theft with keys you knew were lost.
Can I start repairs before the insurer’s assessor visits?
Urgent repairs to stop the damage spreading are usually allowed and expected, with before-and-after photos and invoices. For the rest, ask for written approval before the assessor visits, and keep the damaged items.
Pets chewed the sofa and scratched the floors. Is pet damage covered?
Many policies exclude damage by pets, or cover it only with an accidental-damage extension. Check the exclusions of your own policy.
A workman damaged my bathroom during repairs. Is it his insurance or mine?
Usually the workman is liable, and his liability insurance, if he has it. Ask him in writing to take on the damage and whether he is insured; your own policy may pay under its terms and pursue him. Before future works, ask about insurance in advance.
Does home insurance cover my things in a storage room or garage away from the house?
Many policies cover items away from the main building only with a lower limit or not at all, and often require a locked space. Check the address and the premises your policy names.
My neighbour’s renovation cracked my wall. How do I claim?
Write to the neighbour with photos and ask for the details of the contractor and his insurance. Tell your own insurer too; many policies cover the damage and then pursue whoever is at fault. An engineer’s report helps.
Thieves stole my things from the veranda. The insurer says outdoor items aren’t covered. Is that normal?
Yes, it is common: many policies cover items outside the house (veranda, garden) only with a low limit or not at all. Ask in writing for the clause, and for the future ask whether it can be added.
What you can do from today
- Find out where the main water valve is and show everyone at home.
- Make a video of every room and keep receipts in the cloud.
- Read in your policy: leaks, gradual damage, theft, alarm, locks, liability.
- Ask the management committee whether there is a policy for the common parts and ask for a copy.
- Before works at home, ask the workman whether he has liability insurance.
Where to turn
- Theft, burglary: the Police, the same day, with a case number.
- Common parts, roof, pipes: the building’s management committee and its rules.
- What the policy covers: your own insurer, in writing.
- A dispute with an insurer: first a written complaint to the company itself, which must reply within 45 days; then the Financial Ombudsman (fee €20, disputes up to €250,000) or the courts. The Insurance Companies Control Service supervises insurers, but it does not decide private disputes or award compensation.
General information, not advice (legal or insurance). Every policy has its own terms; for your own case, the law and what your policy says apply, and it is worth getting the answers from your insurer in writing. We give each figure with its source, country and year. AVRASTRO is not an insurer, does not sell general insurance and does not handle claims.
Sources
- Department of Lands and Surveys — Explanatory report on the draft bill for jointly owned buildings (June 2022, in Greek)
- Cyprus Mail, 17 June 2026 — Jointly owned buildings need urgent reform
- Cyprus Mail, 3 October 2025 — Property owners objecting to meagre wildfire compensation
- Politis, 1 August 2025 — the Insurance Association on underinsurance after the wildfire (in Greek)
- Harris Kyriakides LLC, 8 October 2026 — Coverage exclusions: recent Court of Appeal decisions
- Insurance Companies Control Service (ICCS), Ministry of Finance — Complaints
- Financial Ombudsman of the Republic of Cyprus — FAQs
Read also: What to do if your home is damaged · What to do after a theft · When the other side is at fault: claiming from their insurer · Home insurance: building, contents, sum insured · The home, fire and under-insurance · How to build your case, with letter templates · Landlords, tenants, short-term lets · All the questions you are afraid to ask
